In Manitoba with the Manitoba Airsoft Association, a mandatory safety course will be part of obtaining membership for the 2011 year.

Everyone has to take it, and refresher tests will be required if necessary, this is designed to cover all the bases so that we as a gaming group don't have to have people come to the field and say 'Well I didn't know that!' and to foster responsible airsoft gun owners and give the mandatory etiquette rules to airsofters coming on the field. We'll be making a multimedia presentation or possibly a video for upload online to be shown at these courses with explanations from instructors.

As part of the Safety group with the MAA what I'm looking from the ASC general population is further suggestions than the items outlined below (keep in mind, certain things are tailored to our environment, certain rules may not apply in your area):

General Safety Rules

No firing in the safe zone: Self explanatory, guns should be made safe and no firing should occur in safe zones or when a NO-DUFF is called.

Eye Protection on at all times: No-brainer, wear your eye protection. We will cover what is adequate safety eye protection in terms of ballistic lenses.

Keep your finger off the trigger until you've made the decision to shoot: The 'This is my safety' rule, more to prevent friendly fire (I've seen people shoot themselves literally in the foot too many times) than anything else in my opinion.

Control your guns!: A twofold rule; control the direction that your muzzle is pointing at all times, and make sure no unauthorized persons have access to your guns and that they are transported properly.

Be sure of your target and what is beyond it: Make sure you know what your target is, make sure you know what lies beyond it. It goes beyond shooting out your parents grandfather clock in the basement.

Treat all guns as if they were loaded: I've been shot by an asshole who thought his AEG was clear but one was still in the hopup. I don't want to have that happen again.

General Terms, what they mean and what you do:

NO DUFF: What we use in Manitoba as a 'safety emergency' codeword (fire, medical emergency, etc.). Yell it out, radio it out, always repeat it thrice. When you hear it, make safe your gun, respond ASAP, someone's life could be in danger.

EYES OFF: Similar to NO-DUFF, but for anyone who enters the field unannounced without eye protection, call EYES OFF (once again three times), suspend play and escort the person off the field or provide them proper eye protection.

MAKE SAFE: The entire concept of making your gun safe (mags out, safety enabled, clear the chamber when safe to do so, detent the spring if required), explaining the steps and why it's important.

MED (Minimum Engagement Distance): We have minimum engagement distances in Manitoba set for higher velocity guns; this is to explain what they are and what the actual distance is.

MERCY: We have a mercy rule in Manitoba, whereby if someone gets the drop on somebody, they can call out mercy and the other player is supposed to take the hit. This is to avoid unnecessary high velocity shots at very close ranges (as above), this is to teach the proper way to make (as in not tackling the person to the ground) a mercy, and take a mercy (as in if someone just snuck up three miles in dense brush with just a springer and a knife, don't immediately be an ass and yell hit as loudly as you can so that everyone on your team knows)

PARLAY: This is more to resolve issues (cheating, unsafe conduct, unsportsmanlike behaviour) on the field ASAP without admin intervention (which depending on the field could be several minutes away). Players are to deploy their mandatory kill flag/rag/boonie/hat, make safe their gun (to show no hostile intent), yell PARLAY three times and calmly walk over to the other player and explain their grievances and/or what is wrong. There still is no tolerance to physical violence on the field, and spying while in parlay is an ejectable offence, but this can defuse a potentially hazardous situation.

Our field muzzle velocity limits: why it's not a target and why it's not a good idea to exceed them.

Examples of Illegal pyrotechnics not allowed on the field

What to do in the event of a serious incident: In case of a serious medical emergency, a fire or something else that required immediate attention, do you know what to do? Do you know the ramifications should you cause serious bodily harm to someone else? Do you know that the medical practitioners in this world HAVE to report any thing that is considered getting 'shot' to the police?

How to properly report an emergency to the proper authorities: Calling 911 and telling poor Jimmy got his eye shot by an M4 out isn't the proper way to do it.

What to do in the event of a fire

Who has the MAA first aid kit and what's inside it: Just so that they don't expect a full AED and tracheotomy kit in the field.

And finally... Responsible Gun Ownership: This is the biggy I want to stress to newbs, parents and others who will be attending this course. Going over all the legalities about playing airsoft, transporting your guns to and from the field, importation and why you shouldn't do it yourself, and why the $15 dollar spray-painted Walmart springer can be the most lethal weapon out there if you brandish it in public.